, 1887-01-01

thought it was a very significant proof of the
great advance of temperance principles that
their total sustaining brethren could bear to
be told that without falling into Incorporate
language. Applause) There had been a great
advance of temperance principles amongst
teetotallerA Naughter) He had the very
greatest respect f0E total abstainers, and if he
were asked what drink maniac, a man who
could not take one glass without drinking
half a dozen, should do, he would say, "Never
touch a drop of Intoxicating liquor again, and
sign the total abstinence pledge" (Applause)
But he wished them to observe that having
done that, and having got the man to sign
the pledge, we had not secured his sobrlety.
He believed that in a very great number OF
instances people who had entirely lost self
control would break the pledge they gave.
His belief was that they could not get refor-
nation but by the grace of Jesus Christ
(Applause)-and that was why he was a mem
Der of the Church of England Temperance
Society, which connected temperance and re-
ligion. That society told persons who signed
it's pledges to pray God they might have grace
to keep those pledges, and if they took
that advice they would keep them. (Applause]
He had nothing but admiration for those
Christian men who, being in no danger Of
temptation themselves, voluntarily signed a
total abstinence pledge for the purpose of
helping their weaker brethren by their exam
pie, and many years ago he signed a condi-
tional pledge. He went on very well till to-
wards the close of the second year, and then
he broke down utterly. He sent for q doctor,
who said he would have either to give up half
his work or take some slight stimulant with
his principal meals. 1t was perfectly rldlcu-
lous to ask him to give up half his work, and
therefore he tried the stimulant; and it wes
quite clear his doctor was right in his dagno-
sis, for he never had the symptoms again.
He supposed he was one of those who had
not the power of easily d~igesting great masses
of food, and that he was not one OF those who
could engage in active mental labour without
nervous excitement. There were thousands
of men doing the greater part of the intellec-
tual work of England who belonged to the
same class as he did, and it would be perfect
ly monstrous for these men either to commit
suicide or to give up half their work. They
were bound, then, to take the stimulants.
(Applause) He had, however, made and rig
idly observed a rule never to drink a drop OF
alcoholic liqour except at meals-(Applause)
never to have ''nips" or "refreshers be-
tween meals-Qaughter)-and he believed
that if nine-tenths of the people of England
would follow that plan they would be in no
danger. )Hear, hear.) If they resolved up
on that course, half the work of the Church
of England Temperance Society would be
done. Hear, hear) Of course he was in
favour of a certain amount of repressive legis-
Iation. They were entitled to ask that drink
ing houses should not be unduly multiplied,
and that they should be closed upon the
Lords Day. (Applause) He went so far IN
recommending repressive legislation, but he
could go no farther, for he believed they could
not force a man to be sober. They might
take temptation out of his way, but they
could not force him to be sober. When they
tried force, they instantly awakened the spi-
rit of resistance, and in no man so much as
in an Englishman. Hear, hear) He verify
believed that by trying to force an English
man to be good they put in his way a strong
temptation to be the opposite-(Applause) not
because he liked to be bad, but because he
would not be forced by them or by anybody.
Therefore, he said, while we must make our
legislation repressive to a reasonable degree,
let us beware ofmaking it too strlngently repres-
sive, Lest we provoked resistance and evasion.
What they wanted most of all was not a
smaller number of drinking houses, but q dl-
munition of the desire to drink. Diminish the
desire to drink, and all drinking shops would
go out of existence at once, and he thought
the Church of England Temperance Society
was taking admirable and he hoped efficient
means to diminish that desire. BY all means
let them get the drinking maniac to sign the
total abstinence pledge; get every man to
- ILL., LLoA H. xuoul1 DNk toko olcOh0Ho